ASSOCIATION OF FREE FATTY ACID CONCENTRATIONS WITH GLUCOSE LEVELS IN BOSNIAN SUBJECTS

Although there is considerable evidence suggesting a strong association of glucose, glycated hemoglobin and fatty acid levels with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), a limited number of studies have examined the association of individual fatty acids with disease progression. Acutely elevated plasma fatty acids stimulate insulin secretion while chronically elevated plasma fatty acids alter and disrupt insulin secretion. Furthermore, free fatty acids (FFA) are known to interfere with normal glucose homeostasis and affect pancreatic β-cell dysfunction. The study included 24 patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and 27 healthy controls, and analysis of the level of glucose and glycated hemoglobin was done by routine methods. The concentration of individual FFA was determined by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry detection. The results showed statistically significant differences in glucose, HbA1c, lipid profile, palmitic, linolenic, arachidonic, arachidonic, behenic acid as well as in DHA levels in all participants. In healthy subjects, no significant correlation was found between glucose and individual free fatty acids but a negative correlation was observed between DHA and glycated hemoglobin (p<0.05). Newly diagnosed diabetics showed a negative significant association between glucose and lauric acid concentrations, and also the association of glycated hemoglobin with myristic acid levels (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively). These data indicate the association of different types of free fatty acids with glucose levels and their control in the serum of healthy and newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics, and therefore indicate the importance of monitoring glucose levels as well as glycated hemoglobin with concentrations of individual free fatty acids in the progression of diabetes.